• If you're a past member of the board, but can't recall your password any more, you don't need to set up a new account (unless you wish to). As long as you recall your old login name, you can log in with that user name then select 'forgot password' and the board will email you at your registration email, to let you reset your password.

Seperation Anxiety or just naughtiness???

Gem

Gem

Well-known member
A few months back I posted about Chloe constantly scratching/barking in the night when put to bed in the kitchen.
To cut a long story short we followed the advice of leaving her so she didnt feel rewarded for this behaviour.
This has now gone from bad to worse.
She has always slept (at night) in the kitchen since the day we got her just over a year ago, now everynight without fail she wakes up at about 1 oclock scratching the door & wall. We have not been going down to her but she is getting very distressed and literally throwing her whole body against the wall and crying constantly. No exaggeration but if we leave her she will not stop until we go down to her even if its not till hours later.
As soon as we go down she calms down instantly and will get into her basket again as long as we are downstairs with her.
She is kept in the kitchen during the day (whilst we are out) and she is fine, i know she does not bark (have asked the neighbours) and does not scrath the wall (i know this as when she does there is flakes of yellow paint all over the floor!)
I really dont want to get into the habit of her sleeping upstairs with us, could she be suffering with seperation anxiety or is she just testing us?
Forgot to mention since this started her toliet training in the night has gone out the window, she rarely gets through the night without a little puddle left now.
Any ideas/advice really appreciated. Thanks:D
 
I'd suggest crating her so she can't scratch on the door. Leave a radio on. Also start by checking to make sure she doesn't have a UTI, with the vets. If she is also having accidents it suggests maybe she really does feel she needs to go out at that time as she's uncomfortable. If there's no UTI, crating her at night will help both problems. If you haven't ever crate trained her, then you need to start from the beginning as you need t gradually introduce her to being crated. There's info on crate training in the Library section under Caring for your Cavalier.
 
I had this problem with Phoebe. She stared off fine and then I started bringing her into the bed in the mornings so it was my own fault!!
She was fine for about 2 hours and then the scrathing would start and go on and on!! I gave up but still didn't want her in my room so now she sleeps on the landing. I have a baby gate at my door so she is able to see me and I've had no problems since.
Good luck. I think some dogs can be very persistent about the night time thing. And remember you need your sleep too.
 
Karlin has said most of what I was going to say. Another thought has come to mind. Where does Chloe sleep during the day when you are at home? I don't mean her formal sleeps, but just the little ones she takes herself of to for her little daytime doggy-naps? If she normally curls up say on the lounge, or in a basket in the kitchen, or whatever, maybe she is not associating the laundry as a nice, safe & inviting place to sleep.

I would get a crate & put it in spot that she commonly hangs ou in, e.g. the lounge room or family room. Make the crate really inviting so that this is the place she really prefers to be sleeping in and is the place she will go to during the day. Ok so you might not want an ugly crate in your lounge room long term, but once you have her feeling safe & happy in there, you can then slowly start moving it to a spot where you want it to finally be.

Because I spend a lot of time in my office at the computer, this is where I have my Cavaliers' crate. They hang out in it keeping an eye on me when I am working, so at the end of the night it often is just a matter of closing the door on the crate. Sometimes when I am out watching tv late at night I will look around to find the dogs missing & when I go check, I find that they have taken themselves off to sleep. I think part of the trick of a restful night is to have the dogs in a spot they want to be in, within reason.

Hope some of our suggestions help, as disturbed sleep is horrible. :flwr:
 
Another thing you can try is maybe having the crate in your room and gradually over a couple of weeks moving it further and further away from you, you might like to try covering the crate with a blanket to simulate night lasting longer too!
I agree that she should be checked for a UTI and if all clear try using a crate with a blanket over it. My parents still to this day pop a towel over the doors of the kennel cabs their dogs sleep in, then when they go down in the morning their 3 are all stretching and yawning as if to say "What? daytime already?" :lol:

Good Luck and remember Rome wasn't built in a day! (y)
 
Hiya,

Harry has just started to do this too, after 2 years of hapily sleeping in the kitchen, he's now barking at night, i do ignore him but it's awful and i'm worried my neighbours will complain.

funny thing is though when he's tired during the day he'll sleep quite happily in his bed in the kithcen and will go by himself.
 
Harvey was the same and I was worried about neighbours. We then decided to let him come up to bed with us but as suggested crate trained him. Now both Alfie and harvey come upstairs and happily get into their crates so no wandering in the night. They both sleep right through until we are ready to get up and no more accidents.
 
Having a pal for your dog can help a lot too, if you want an excuse for second cavalier. :lol:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top